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Speaking of difficulties, I’m relieved to report that since I emailed last month, cooperation won over political gridlock in Harrisburg, and we finally passed the 2025-26 state budget.
Pennsylvania is once again operating under a responsible, balanced spending plan that reflects real compromise and progress for the people we serve.
It continues to boost support for education, and it tackles long-overdue cyber charter school funding reform to ensure greater transparency and fairness for taxpayers. By tying payments to the actual cost of educating students, the plan will save school districts and taxpayers $178 million – money that can now stay in our classrooms and communities, where it belongs.
We also secured a $100 million increase in Basic Education funding and an additional $40 million for Special Education, all without raising state taxes. These investments will help school districts balance their budgets, reduce pressure on local property taxpayers, and help make homebuying and renting across Pennsylvania more affordable.
If you have been following other developments over the course of the budget impasse, you also might recall that Pennsylvania’s victims’ support programs and services needlessly suffered cuts for months. I’m pleased to share with you that once enacted, the budget went right to work funding those services. That doesn’t mean that victims did not go without the promise of services this fall. An impasse is never a responsible way to handle policy or political differences.
I say this often; our state budget is a declaration of your government’s commitment to serve you and the needs of all Pennsylvanians. I’m pleased that the rest of the General Assembly could eventually put people over politics and function over obstruction.
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